Sangue e Cielo
by KuroNekoFangirl
Summary: Time is unraveling and if someone doesn't act quick, then the Vongola will cease to exist forever! Once again, it's up to Tsuna! Will he succeed again or fail miserably...? Set after the anime ending. TsunaxKyoko, GokuderaxHaru, YamamotoxChrome, RyoheixHana, romance, drama, suspense, tradgedy. Multi-chapter.
1. Mission 0 Part 1

**Description: **The Reborn gang is about to graduate High School! But before Tsuna can make the dreaded decision about taking over the Vongola Family, a new enemy threatens to destroy every normal thing Tsuna holds dear, by destroying time itself!

**Rated:**OT for cursing, violence, and some sexual scenes. If you don't like, don't read.

**Couples mentioned:**TsunaxKyoko, GokuderaxHaru, YamamotoxChrome, RyoheixHana, slight! HibarixOC, slight! MukuroxOC.

**Beta'd:**NO ONE.

**Setting:** Current Namimori-others in time-after the anime and the Future Arc five years later.

**A/N: **Well, this is a first for me. Actually writing a Fantasy...crazy world. In any case, please read and enjoy and no flamers please. I promise, it only gets better from here and I already have most of the second chapter done...

* * *

MISSION 0: CROSSING NEW ROADS—Part 1

The crowd was in a tense silence. The brightly lit gym was stifling, the breath of the nearly beaten players steaming up every available window. Their heels dragged along the polished floor in squeaks and the thirsty players sucked at their water bottles to replace the moisture loss on their foreheads. Their coach nipped at his torn up fingernail, the tense seconds ticking away too painfully for him to handle.

Even the gold and red opposing team sat still in their benches, waiting for the drop.

Literally.

Number 27 had the ball in his grasp. He had a clear shot. Yet he was stalling.

Beads of sweat ran down his head in rivulets, making his forehead shine under the court lights. Everyone could see the tire in his bones and the fire seeping out of his eyes. The blue and white Namimori High basketball uniform made him look paler than normal, making him look positively ill with fear and dread.

Or maybe some habits were just too hard to break.

He kept the ball trained in his stiff hands, running the clock out. It ticked away from twenty two seconds to eighteen in what seemed like hours. His auburn eyes were searching, scanning, thinking.

Finally, he seemed to make his decision.

He charged for the net.

The crowd rose to its feet, sucking in a breath instantly. Would it be to cheer? Or would it be to let out a breath of anger and curses at the lone basketball player?

27 continued to swerve through the oncoming crowd but he couldn't avoid clashing into various players through his rampage, even knocking into his teammate 69 at one point. The opposing team followed him, not close to his match in speed but with enough teamwork to have the lone player surrounded on all sides within a two point reach of the basket.

The crowd let out a groan. It was over.

But 27 only seemed amused by the situation. He stretched up and jumped.

The opposing team laughed at his foolishness, instantly rising to block.

And then the news hit.

27 wasn't even holding the ball anymore!

A girl called from the crowd in an excited yelp as another player made a beeline for the basket with no opposition in sight. Number 69 zoomed past the lone blocker who had managed to keep his position. The cocky, mop-haired teen grinned, almost floating past the confused teenager and made a last minute shot from the edge of the three point line as the clock in the gym buzzed a drawn-out zero.

The crowd let out a cheer as the ball flew into the basket with no resistance, instantly changing the dubious score from 66 to 69. The Namimori Lions had won the championship game.

* * *

Tsuna had been in the middle of shaking hands with the opposition when his friends swarmed him. Even Mukuro disguised as his fellow teammate Kai Yuuto looked bemused at the situation, standing aloof off a far distance away from the gushing crowd. It didn't stop some of the other Namimori players from offering the recluse their congratulations, pink staining his pale pokerface as they showered him with praise.

Tsuna confidently handed over the trophy to his beaming coach before allowing the hugs to continue. All his friends from over the years surrounded him on all sides, barely giving him a chance to breathe as they all took turns hugging the sheepish teenager. Gokudera actually seemed to be the one squeezing the hardest, which instantly made the brunet nervous and he gently pried the happy bomber's arms off his middle with a choked out laugh.

Ryohei was yelling right in his ear, talking about how extremely cool that last pass was and how Tsuna was so impressive for coming up with the strategy. Tsuna very gently pushed the senior back away from his bleeding ear before engrossing himself in the conversation that sparked a very annoyed groan from some of the surrounding group members (aka one sports-hating silver haired teenager).

Lambo and I-Pin danced around his ankles—who actually were tall enough now to grab his waist with a vice grip—which made Kurokawa shrink away in fear and disgust up against Haru, wearing a blue and white lion costume for the occasion and had been cheering the loudest throughout the last quarter. Yamamoto was at Tsuna's elbow, trying to calm the crowd down and had his hand on Tsuna's shoulder that helped the teen down from his adrenaline high.

But Tsuna kept one eye trained on Kyoko, wearing his team jacket with pride, the deep blue and white a great combination on her seemingly flawless skin. Her smile lifted Tsuna's spirits more than any of the other cheering group had, and he was only vaguely aware of someone speaking to him. Her eyes glittered with pride, and Tsuna felt weak at the knees. She looked every bit as beautiful as the day they first met, even with a small popcorn kernel stuck in her teeth that she had yet to notice.

A hand roughly tapped him on the shoulder, shaking him from his thoughts. Tsuna coughed and turned his attention back to his now glaring mother. "Um...I'm sorry Mom, what were you saying?"

Nana Sawada stood off to the side with willowy Bianchi (holding a fizzing water bottle that sounded eerily like acid that he quickly refused once offered) as she gruffly reiterated "I said let's go on home to celebrate! I am sure your father will be more than excited to hear the news!"

Tsuna's smile suddenly felt forced as he nodded in assent before his voice decided to betray him. The notion that his crazed and outlandish father had eaten his weight in food last night after another long stretch away from home and now was taking a power-nap in his underwear at the house seemed unappealing enough without dragging his friends back to see.

He could already imagine Iemitsu's reaction, with the older man grinning like an idiot while his voice spouted nonsense to the people he actually respected: "Oh! Tsuna! How did it go?! Oh, so you won the game! That's my boy ladies! I can still remember the first day he cried when I put a basketball near his face, sobbing and begging me to take it out of his mouth! Oh the dentist had a laughing fit when we told him what happened…!" Tsuna shuddered at the thought.

His friends pulled at his arms, dragging him away and out of his dangerous thoughts. "We've been planning all weekend!" A grown-up Fuuta urged, tugging on his hand. "C'mon! Nana Sawada's parties are rated Number One in Perfect for A Winning a Tournament Celebration!"

"Oh wait!" Tsuna called, making the crowd pause. He turned back around and scoured the thinning group of spectators until he saw the bobbing black head of the aloof Disciplinary Leader appear alongside the small cluster of people now gathered around Number 69. Tsuna quickly jogged up alongside, calling out to the wary teens. "Hey, we're going to go celebrate, you guys want to come?"

For a wild moment, the stern teenager and the grinning basketball player shot each other a hard glance. The two men hadn't quite yet resolved their differences, the flame of something akin to jealousy and hatred still burning in their narrowed eyes. It seemed very unlikely the two would ever grow up and suffer each other's presence.

But with Tsuna watching them as coldly as he was even with the same serene smile as usual on his face, the two men's stubbornness melted away at the promise those sharp eyes held.

Hibari gave a derisive sniff as Mukuro nodded his assent. Tsuna allowed himself a wider grin before turning to the badly disguised Ken, Chikusa, and Chrome seated in the front row bleachers looking up at the calmly ended scuffle in disbelief. "The invitation is extended to you guys as well, if you're interested. At my house, in a couple of hours. See you then." The teen grinned and spun on his heel and followed the familiar crowd through the gym doors.

Now it was gonna be a party.

* * *

Tsuna should have been prepared for the inevitable when he walked through the front door.

He expected his father to be noisily greeting them at the door, instantly swooping the girls (and an eager Gokudera) under his arm and telling embarrassing stories about him all night that would leave him red for weeks. He expected the man to sweep his mother into a grossly inappropriate kiss that would leave him sickened and slightly jealous for an hour and for the man to stick his burly finger into his cheek in a smarting, not to mention humiliating fashion that would ultimately end up in a purpling bruise.

What he hadn't expected was Timoteo, the gray haired boss of Vongola, and his father calmly lounging in the main sitting room sipping on sake and laughing loudly at whatever joke had passed through their alcohol soaked minds as the troupe marched through the front door.

Tsuna gaped with disbelief as the elderly boss slowly turned to the oncoming group with a knowing smile. "Ah, Tsunayoshi and friends, welcome back!" Timoteo sang with a sober laugh. "Congratulations on the win, we're all very impressed."

"What are you doing here?" The teen asked instantly, looking curiously from his smirking father back to the man.

Timoteo grinned as Iemitsu poured another round of alcohol. "I was in town and I thought I would drop by to see how you were. I was shocked to hear from Iemitsu and Reborn about all your many achievements over the years. The sports team, the teachers, running for Student President; I was especially impressed to hear about your sudden interest in political science and foreign affairs," Timoteo smiled proudly at the dumbstruck brunet. "You're developing very successfully."

Tsuna frowned at the sentiment. "'Successfully?'" He grumbled in confusion.

Timoteo swallowed another gulp of alcohol. "…I was just saying to Iemitsu how much you've grown since we first met. You've become a very fine young man Tsunayoshi." The old man turned to the surprised teen, his gentle smile making Tsuna nervous instead of calm as intended.

The brunet instinctively opened his mouth to refute the statement, but no words came out. An embarrassingly awkward moment passed with no sound echoing in the small room, save for the two men continuing to drink unbeknownst of the bewildered teen. Tsuna felt his head reeling, almost knowing what was bound to happen if this conversation continued. His face felt hot and instantly shy in front of his friends, whom he could feel turning to each other for explanations. He turned back to the blonde-haired girl behind him, silently begging for help.

Kyoko seemed to take the unspoken hint, turning to the onlookers. "Let's…leave them alone for a while everyone," She urged. "I think they need some privacy to talk about things that we don't know about." She ushered their friends away with a bruising grip.

Nana nodded and led the troupe into the other room. "Why don't you all help me with the decorations?" She cheerily added.

The room soon petered out, leaving the three men in silence. Finally, Tsuna recovered enough to speak again. "…Look, Ninth…I think we really need to talk about—" Tsuna yelped as he felt tiny heels suddenly land on his own feet hard enough to send him reeling into a world of pain in a matter of seconds.

The teen cried out again, sending both men at the floor table erupting into raucous laughter. Iemitsu pulled another extra-large bottle from seemingly nowhere and presented it to the older man. "'Nother round, Boss?!" He roared.

"Don't mind if I do!" Timoteo eagerly responded, holding up his glass for the blond to pour in.

Tsuna stood, watching them astounded as the men continued to drink as if they didn't notice him steaming in the corner. "Guys, I…" He sputtered as they continued to ignore his presence. "…I-I really want to…Guys I'm serious, I…Will you listen to me already?!" He snarled.

"Save it." Reborn interrupted, stomping on the teen's toes again for good measure. When the teen had stifled another scream, he continued. "They'll get to you when they're ready." His black eyes narrowed expectantly. "And you might do well to really consider what they're asking of you before you jump to any definite answers."

"Wh-What do you—"

"Use your soon-to-be-graduated high school brain. Why else do you think he'd be here?" Reborn quickly jumped away into the other room before Tsuna could question the baby further. He turned back to the intoxicated duo, wrinkling his nose as they began to sing a drunken version of "Baby One More Time".

* * *

The party started out like normal. Takeshi's dad was kind enough to serve as the caterer of the event, giving Nana a break from hosting and letting the entire group chow on sushi for no cost. The biggest pigs of the group took advantage of the treat, with Ken swallowing most of the yellow tail before a hungry, stubborn Lambo could get a hold of it. That started a scuffle that didn't end until the end of the night.

Dino had been a surprise visitor, bringing along a karaoke machine that left most of his men and Ryohei thoroughly entertained for most of the night. No amount of earplugs could cover up the disturbing sounds emitting from the speakers after the sun guardian began his two hour rendition of "We Are the Champions".

No one really tried again after that.

Tsuna couldn't bring himself to enjoy it as he normally could. He spent most of the night unwillingly glued to Reborn's, his father's, and the Ninth's side. The elderly leader's presence had Tsuna on edge, waiting nervously for whatever the boss had to discuss. Reborn himself had done nothing since, only petting Leon absently despite Bianchi's best efforts to get him to enjoy himself.

The brunet knew exactly what the elderly man had come for. It was the same thing that happened every time he did something in the name of Vongola. Tsuna would win, Ninth would encourage him to think about becoming the boss again, Tsuna would vehemently refuse until the next altercation.

It was something he had never given any definite thought about. The option was never an option. Tsuna had vowed he wouldn't be the boss of the Vongola, and that was that.

And yet, every action and decision he made seemed to point to the fact that Tsuna was becoming something he vowed never to be.

Tsuna simply waited, knowing the trio would eventually speak to him in their own time.

Finally, the Ninth gulped down another beer and turned to Tsuna. "Are you enjoying the last few days of your high school career Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna shrugged stiffly at the question. "I suppose."

"Looking to go to University?"

"I don't know...I mean I've thought about it and everything, but I don't have any definite plans..." Tsuna's shoulders sagged. It sounded pathetic even to him. "I guess...I never really thought I'd make it this far. I've always thought I would quit after middle school. I had no friends, no real abilities, and I had the grades to prove it. I never thought about doing anything further."

"Until Reborn came along?" The Ninth questioned, sounding oddly sober.

Tsuna thought for a moment. "...Yeah, I suppose so. When he came around, I suddenly got friends and I got smarter. After all that I've done—Kokuyo, the Inheritance Battles, and all the fights in the future, going to High school seemed like a breeze. And it was, certainly."

"Then maybe it's time for you to take over," Reborn finally spoke, his face blank.

Tsuna froze. He had been dreading to hear those words from the elderly boss, but hearing it from his tutor only served to make him more panicky. He turned to his baby tutor, his face quickly turning white. "What...what do you mean Reborn?"

"I mean what I said idiot," Reborn growled back. "I mean maybe it's time for you to take over the Family. Or did you forget that was my purpose for 'coming around' as you called it?" He snapped in a voice that Tsuna had heard only directed at the scariest of opponents.

The Ninth and Iemitsu said or did nothing to stop Reborn, but they didn't help Tsuna either. They continued to gulp their drinks nonchalantly, pretending not to listen.

"I-I...!" The teen bumbled, sweating even more than he had during the game. "I-I just—"

"We don't have to decide anything right away Tsunayoshi," The Ninth finally said, breaking the tense moment between student and teacher. "I'm sure Reborn was just offering it as a suggestion. You have made incredible progress these past years, that much is certain but we have no need to decide this now; let's just drop the subject for a while and go back to celebrating your victory." The Ninth raised his mug with a gentle smile. "To Tsunayoshi."

"To Tsuna," Iemitsu repeated, raising his glass.

"To Tsuna!" Everyone chimed in, happy and blissfully unaware of the stiff atmosphere off in the corner.

Reborn didn't toast, nor did he look at Tsuna for the duration of the party.

* * *

It remained a cheery atmosphere even as the party dissipated sometime after midnight. One by one, everyone departed and stumbled down the street with the promise of coming together again. Ryohei had to be dragged back home by Dino's helpful men some hours before, and left Tsuna with the joyful task of escorting Kyoko back home.

She seemed to instantly catch that something was wrong the moment they left and despite Tsuna's best attempts, he somehow began telling her every part of the strained conversation earlier with her listening on attentively.

"It's just..." He sighed as they turned another corner. "Everyone seems to be expecting me to be this great boss and everything, but...I've just always not wanted to be. When I first met Reborn, all I did whenever someone would mention me becoming the boss was deny it, constantly. But...ever since, everything that I've done has always made me seem like...like I was slowly becoming what I hate..." Tsuna trailed off, stopping short in his tracks.

He looked beaten, dejected; certainly not the confident champion she had seen hours before. Kyoko gingerly touched a hand to his shoulder, making him look up.

"Tsuna...I may not have known about all this Mafia business for as long as you have, but let me tell you this," She encouraged, grabbing his face in her hands and staring confidently into auburn irises. "You have not changed.

"You may be taller, yes, and maybe not as scared of things. Your grades have improved, and your voice has deepened, but that same goofy, light-hearted boy I've known for so many years cannot easily disappear like that. You've matured, but you haven't changed so much that you wouldn't feel guilty about something like this.

"You can't change who you are Tsuna. And I know the real you; the real Tsuna who is so wonderful that he's more concerned about being someone he's not than wondering how to abuse the power that comes with it." Kyoko smiled warmly and released his face. "And that's worth more than any title or wealth in the world."

Tsuna found himself staring at Kyoko for a long minute, finding immediate comfort in her words. "...Yeah..." He murmured. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I haven't changed…that much I mean...oh, should I let you go?" Tsuna said, waving his hand toward the nameplate on the stucco wall that read SASAGAWA.

The brunette shook her head. "We can take another turn around the block...if you really need it...?" She whispered, looking playful.

Tsuna grinned and resumed walking. "I just...I just wish I knew what I could say to them. I can't give them a definite answer because—"

"Because neither option sounds great?" Kyoko joked, a light and airy laugh rolling over Tsuna's eardrums.

He laughed too. "Exactly. These are the kinda guys you can't really give a crappy answer like 'Oh, I dunno...whatever's cool I guess...'" Tsuna slurred playfully, earning another cute laugh from the girl beside him.

He grinned, knowing it had been a long time since finally becoming the girl's friend. She still was as beautiful and perfect as she had been the day he first saw her.

It seemed like only yesterday that he was cleaning up the gym after another bout of losing to the other class. He remembered pausing to lean heavily on the broom and contemplated another suicide possibility when he had happened to stare out the window and see the brunette out on the school swings.

She had been kicking up dust bunnies from the earth, and when he opened the creaky window, Tsuna heard the tune of some popular song of the day erupting from her pretty lips. Tsuna was so caught up in staring that he hadn't even noticed when she stopped. He nearly fell out the window in his haste, and laughed sheepishly.

She had laughed as well, waving to him lightly before hopping off the swing-set and walked off through the wire gate.

What she didn't notice was Tsuna blushing like a madman and anxiously awaiting the next day he would see her again. She had saved his life every day after that point, making it his single goal in life to see her daily.

But if it hadn't have been for Reborn, Tsuna was sure that the girl would have never acknowledged his presence outside of being schoolyard acquaintances. And throughout the years, she continued to be the one constant figure in his life that served to prove how far he'd come.

If he could go back to that day, he was more than certain there would be nothing he would change.

"...Una? Tsuna?"

Said teen woke himself out of his reverie and turned back to Kyoko. "I'm sorry, what?"

She smiled toothily at him. "I said, you could just tell them the truth. That seems to be your thing, isn't it? Just tell them you can't make a decision right now and that you need time. It's not possible to make a decision like this so quickly after all."

"I've had about six years to think it over," Tsuna retorted. "At least, that's what Reborn is going to argue. I'd rather them take my decision and leave me alone."

"But you won't completely discredit the alternative either, will you?" Kyoko asked quizzically.

Tsuna turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Kyoko shrugged. "You've done a lot these past few years. You've managed to bring a lot of unlikely people together, and keep them together without killing each other. That's a talent not many people have."

"Well most of that was Reborn, not really me—"

"And you've put your nose to the stone and improved yourself to the point where you are a star player and your grades are great too."

"I guess, but again that was mostly Reborn—"

"You've protected me and Haru and Chrome many, many times and befriended many very unlikely people. You can't tell me that hasn't meant something to you."

"Well yes, but again that was Reborn—"

"No Tsuna, that was you." Kyoko announced with finality. "All Reborn did was push you to start. You did all of those incredible things on your own. You don't think all of that won't disappear once you make the decision to let it go? You say no, and all of those things that you have fought through and became stronger through will have been a waste. Not just for you, but for Reborn too. And Mr. Ninth."

Tsuna stood stumped on the sidewalk. He had never considered things that way. And while it did annoy him that he had more to think about and consider, Tsuna was ultimately impressed that the girl could see more good in him than he could himself. It stoked his ego a little more with the thought.

He grinned. "Well Kyoko, you are the first person to give me a decent piece of advice today. Advice that I will definitely have to take under consideration."

Kyoko brightened, and grasped the teen's hand. "Glad I could help!" She cheered, squeezing tightly and obliviously not noticing the large blush on the star basket-baller's face.

He walked the girl back to the stucco sign and sighed in relief. "...Thank you for that Kyoko. I really needed to hear it today."

She giggled. "Believe it or not, girls do have a different way of thinking. That's why we're always right."

Tsuna chuckled again before sobering and tentatively asking "...You...would you...like to...s-spend the day with me, soon?"

"Alone?" Kyoko teased. She giggled again when Tsuna nodded. "We'll see. I've got a big trip planned."

"That's right, you're going overseas to check out the American Universities," Tsuna murmured. "That sounds interesting."

"Yes. Just for fun, I also convinced my parents to let me visit one in Italy that Haru recommended. She's thinking about transferring there after a year here."

Tsuna smiled sadly. "Everyone knows what they're doing with their lives but me. I better get on it before I lose my chance."

Kyoko chuckled one final time and leaned back to the brunet. She kissed him so lightly on his cheek it felt almost like a feather tickling his skin. "See you at school Tsuna."

"Y-you too..." He murmured as she disappeared through her front gate and into the pitch dark house. When he was certain the chance was safe, he let out a huge whoop that made the tomcat in the alley snarl at him for waking him in the middle of his midnight nap.

* * *

Mukuro yawned widely, pointedly ignoring the three figures lumbering faithfully behind him. Ken was obviously sleepy, padding a little slower than usual but it was doubly in fault of the large boxes of sushi he had managed to pilfer away from the Vongola before they noticed. Still, he was yawning loudly as well, the effect of the already consumed dead fish taking its toll as it rested in his very full stomach.

Chikusa was plodding softly behind on his left, humming the last few lines of the enka song that had been playing as the group left. The yo-yoer actually had a pretty nice voice, though proud Mukuro would never admit it to anyone. He simply walked ahead, pretending not to bother to check if the two male teens and the purple headed girl were managing to keep up or not.

Chrome was, albeit at a more tentative speed than the three boys in front of her, carefully stepping around the various cobblestones and nicks in the pavement with her eye trained on all the boxes of gifts in her hands that Sawada's girlfriends had showered on her. Her face was a permanent shade of pink that Mukuro actually liked in comparison to the pale counterpart he normally dealt with.

The party had been enjoyable in its own right, Mukuro mused. The past few years getting to know the young Vongola heir were worthwhile as he slowly began to realize the genuine spirit the boy possessed. If Mukuro ever admitted anything, he would admit he was wrong about Tsunayoshi Sawada.

He liked the refreshingly honest attitude the boy possessed, and even if the boy did some strange things it was nice to at least accept that Rokudo Mukuro had an ally that would be sure to take care of him and his subordinates if the time ever came.

Which he really hoped it didn't, because how embarrassing it would be to admit he would need help?!

Very.

Mukuro stopped in his tracks, suddenly sensing something hidden in the dark street looming up ahead. The three subordinates behind him halted at the same time, instantly growing alert to every passing second.

Nothing seemed off in the slightest, the darkness creeping around their lone streetlamp in only a slightly sinister fashion. Still, Mukuro knew there was something lying behind the scope of his eye that set his teeth on edge. He could almost feel the bloodthirsty intent emanating from the unknown source. And it made him excited for a challenge.

"Show yourself," The man finally commanded, his usual smirk growing on his face. He could feel the adrenaline already pumping into his veins. He loved a good fight, especially when it involved trouncing an enemy into complete and utter defeat. And he doubted anyone could ever make him feel the same way.

Again anyway.

The darkness refused to respond, making Mukuro irritated. The thrill of a new challenge was ebbing away, leaving only abhorrence with the situation. Kindness was probably rubbing off on him.

Mukuro shook off the thought and motioned to his men, who instantly drawing out their weapons. "Answer me," He continued to order, vehemence growing in pitch as the unknown enemy insisted on denying his orders. Some alarms began to ring off in the back of his mind, making him uneasy with his gut decision as it told him to run away.

"Listen to us, byon!" Ken continued to snarl behind him. "We'll tear you to shreds if you think about doing anything to Master Mukuro!" The teen could hear Ken drooling behind him and snorting as the blond transformed into a new Channel. He could also hear the whistling of the blue-haired boy's yo-yo as he prepared himself to strike.

They gathered around in a circle, back-to-back with their eyes trained on every part of the looming darkness. They waited patiently, uncertain of the unknown.

All was still, all was quiet.

Nothing and no one moved.

And then, Chrome screamed.

Mukuro whirled on the girl, instantly confounded when he realized the spot the girl had previously occupied was empty. Her bags of presents and the lone trident clattered to the ground, unused.

Suddenly, there was a noticeable grunt as Chikusa disappeared at his side, dragged into the darkness away from the lone streetlamp. A growl and a whimper later, and Ken was gone too.

Mukuro grew anxious and angry, never letting it show on his face as usual. He dove for the trident, but he was stopped an inch away from his weapon with a boot on his back and one on his precious weapon.

A group of white suited men came into his line of view, each holding a struggling member of his group. They looked down on him with darkened, narrowed eyes illuminated with the desire to kill. Each of his members struggled fruitlessly in their captor's arms, looking to their leader desperately for help.

He wouldn't let them down, he decided. A gloved hand dove for his right eye, instantly switching it from Six to Four in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly, a fist grabbed at the back of his head and yanked his hair as he was pulled upright. Before the purple-haired man could move to throw a punch, something struck him in the stomach. Mukuro let out a groan when he felt something give way and slumped against the figure clutching him.

A light and airy laugh floated from the darkness over to him. "Out with just a punch?" A bodiless voice sneered. "So the rumors were true; you are ineptly useless. I guess that's why you hang out with clowns like these. Get your kicks from being powerful over someone else, hm?"

Mukuro grunted, his eyes blurry.

"Well I suppose then it's no wonder why you lost to such a pathetic Mafioso."

"You..." Mukuro huffed. "...Are a Mafioso as well, are you not?"

"Hmm...I thought you were kicked out, Rokudo Mukuro." The voice continued to taunt, a smirk evident in his voice.

Mukuro harrumphed. "That…is undoubtedly true," He admitted. "But there is a reason for that…I was too dangerous for any Mafioso to handle. Including yourself."

The laugh returned. "You think I can't handle a few scrawny teenagers? Well, you're in for a treat Rokudo Mukuro. But before I divulge anything more…" A black clothed arm reached out, grabbing Mukuro's head in his palm. The fingers squeezed, and a searing pain erupted in the man's eye.

"Whoops, does that hurt?" The voice crooned in the same even tone over the screams bursting from his victim's mouth. "But then you won't be conscious enough to see what I do to your little comrades…Oh well," The voice joked.

The unknown attacker leaned in close to the gasping man's ear as he slipped into unconsciousness, his hot breath setting his hair on end. "…I invoke omertà."

* * *

The sound of Tsuna's chirping cellphone woke the lazy teen from his sleeping coma late the next morning. The teen yawned widely, grabbing the contraption and flipping it open with slight annoyance.

And then let out a shriek that shook awake even the two deeply slumbering child hitmen sleeping in the other room.

Tsuna grinned at the phone widely, looking creepier than normal. The message glowing on his phone was more than capable of turning the brunet into a star-struck Romeo:

**Hi Tsuna!**

**Hope I didn't wake you. I hope you thought a lot about what we talked about last night. I know I did ;)**

**Aaaaand...I thought about what you asked me…**

**Soooooo...I have the day free today, why don't we go out together? Meet me at my house at 2, k? 3**

**Kyoko**

Tsuna gripped the device closer to his chest. He hummed like a moron as he leapt out of bed and danced circles around the piles of mess around his floor.

Panic soon set in and Tsuna dove for his closet, hunting for his freshest and best shirts amidst the mess. He soon ruled out everything he touched and began looting through every pile of laundry he could find.

Finally, he settled on an ensemble that was similar to the outfit Tsuna wore the first date he had ever had with Kyoko; their first alone trip together to the zoo. He then chased the chortling Lambo out of his room as soon as the baby-faced assassin caught the teen primping and practicing cheesy lines in the square mirror.

The teen soon bounced down the stairs, swooping into a twirl at the last step. He danced through the living room doorway to the smell of rice and eggs wafting from the tiny kitchen.

Tsuna pecked his surprised mother on the cheek and swept up a piece of toast with an airy "Good morning!" in her ear as he crunched into the bread with a flourish.

Nana laughed at her son's unusual behavior. "And it is!" She cheerily replied. "Did something good happen last night Tsu?"

"Sur' dit!" Was the jumbled reply around a mouthful of toast. "An' ris mornin' oo!"

She giggled again. "Well that's wonderful! I'm glad that you're so happy."

Tsuna swallowed. "You really think so?" He inquired.

"Absolutely." Nana replied, her hands busily scrubbing in elbow-deep suds. She sighed from the memories flooding back to her. "You used to be so quiet and reserved until Mr. Reborn came along. All the other children used to be so mean to you and so all you would do was just stay home in your room. I was worried that one day I'd find you in a heap in your mess, miserable for the rest of your life. I was worried pouting was all you'd ever do.

"Now you're always smiling and out with one or all of your friends and I couldn't be any happier. A mother only wishes for her child to find their niche in the world." The woman paused scrubbing long enough to give her stunned son a proud smile. "You're turning into a wonderful young man Tsu."

Tsuna felt his good mood plummeting as his mother turned back to her dishes. He harrumphed and slumped against the counter. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" He mumbled into his toast absently.

"Maybe you should start listening to them."

Tsuna sighed, six years of being with his tutor taking its toll with no surprise shown on his face. He spun around to meet the baby hitman, already nonchalantly tucking into his breakfast at the long table in the middle of the room. The teen grit his teeth anxiously, coming to sit beside stern-faced Reborn. "...Reborn, about last night—"

"Save your apologies," The tutor replied, sucking noisily on his coffee mug. "I know you well enough by now Stupid Tsuna." Before the teen could let out an airy laugh, Reborn continued. "Don't think you're off the hook though; they'll be back asking you again soon. And next time, you will need to give them a real answer."

The teen frowned further. "…About that Reborn, I've been thinking—"

"Tsuna, we don't have time to talk about that right now," His tutor interrupted again, putting down his mug and looking up from his half-eaten meal.

Tsuna immediately grew nervous. His tutor never stopped eating for anything, his philosophy 'eat or be eaten' always taken into account under any circumstance. The fact that food was still left on his plate left much to the imagination as he began speaking again. "There has been an incident." Reborn continued, oblivious to his student's worry.

"What happened?"

"I got word that Daigoro and Ushio Ooyama, Kensuke Mochida, and Asato Yoriki, Kentaro Ota, and Tatsuya Moriyama had been brutally attacked this past weekend," Reborn reported, his face gruesomely somber. "They're in critical now."

"Wait," Tsuna frowned. "Mochida…Ooyama…why do they sound familiar?"

"Mochida. Graduated. Former captain of the Namimori Middle Kendo club. Ooyama. Graduated. Former captain of the Namimori Middle Karate club. Yoriki, Ota, and Moriyama were former seniors of Ryohei and subsequently were lifeguards after their middle school graduation," Reborn rested his head on his hands, looking straight into his student's eyes. "You fought them all when you were fifteen, remember?"

Tsuna blinked, the fuzzy memories of an enraged kendo senior, a determined karate senior, and the three thieves who stole his money at the beach floating to the top of his brain after a few moments of deliberation. His eyes flickered with the memories as their names finally clicked. "…You're right!" He murmured in astonishment. "I fought with them in middle school!"

Reborn nodded. "Along with Skull and the Carcassa Family—who attacked Mafia Land when we visited, Valensa and Toras—the hitmen who tried to kill you for Verde, and the Todd Family, who were after Fuuta for a time. Whoever these attackers are, they're coming after you for some reason."

"Why do you assume it's me they're af…wait, Reborn," The brunet's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're not telling me something. You're hiding something else from me, I can feel it. Tell me what's going on!"

Reborn sighed again, Leon curling around his finger comfortingly. His voice was unusually quiet and soft as he dutifully reported "…Kakimoto Chikusa, Joshima Ken, Chrome Dokuro, and Rokudo Mukuro were attacked on the street last night after they left the party here."

Tsuna turned almost chalk white as soon as Reborn finished and wavered threateningly in his seat. Leon leapt off his owner's finger and quickly shifted into a net-like web attached to the arm of his chair and the leg of the table that caught the teen before he went crashing to the floor.

Tsuna barely responded to the action, continuing to stare into space without saying anything. Nevertheless, Leon dutifully kept up the form until the brunet finally hefted himself from the net-contraption about five minutes later.

His eyes were glossed over, and was still a pale white but his voice was even when he opened his mouth. "…Where?"

"Off Block 62 and 23rd."

"No, I mean…where are they now?" Tsuna demanded.

Reborn locked eyes with his student, evenly answering back, "At Namimori Central. Dino's with them now."

"I'm going." Tsuna responded instantly, rising from the table.

"I figured you would," His tutor muttered, picking up his coffee in irritation. "I already let him know you were coming by."

"Thanks." Tsuna replied. With another kiss to his mother's cheek and sidestepping his sleepy father walking down the stairs, Tsuna was out the door and took off down the street in an instant.

Iemitsu winced as the front door slammed loudly in his wake, the effects of a hangover taking its toll on his lethargic brain.

Reborn shook his head disapprovingly when the blond man sat down beside him. "Honestly, he didn't even ask who it was?" He questioned the older man with a hint of anger lacing his words.

"…It would have bothered him even more to know that we don't know who's responsible." Iemitsu answered soberly. "Let's just have him settle his thoughts himself…"

* * *

Tsuna flew through the glass doors of the familiar hospital in a flurry. He nearly crashed into the information desk where a bored nurse flatly told him the floor he needed upon which he bounded off in the direction of the elevators. An achingly slow ride later and Tsuna was dashing through the halls again.

He nearly ran into a lanky blond in a dark green jacket positioned outside one of the doors, talking with two other men in rich black suits. "Dino!" Tsuna wheezed, relieved that his suspicions were correct as the man turned around at the sound of his name.

Dino's rich brown eyes looked flat and lifeless, but his smile was genuine when he looked at the teen slowing to a stop in front of him. "Yo, Tsuna," He slurred in his smooth tenor.

"How are they?!" Tsuna breathed, leaning against the wall for support.

Dino's smile fell, sighing and waving the other men off as the duo spoke. "...They're lucky to be alive," He finally announced, not looking the brunet in the eye.

"That bad?!"

Dino nodded. "Kakimoto Chikusa was injected with his own poison over and over repeatedly and then as he was right on the edge, they gave him the antidote, punching and kicking him all the while. Joshima Ken had skin ripped off his arms and back from what seem to be lashings from a metal whip. Most of his teeth are cracked or broken and his hands were broken horribly in several places. Dokuro Chrome was strangled repeatedly and they pulled off some of her fingernails. One of them also ran a knife down the length of her back too. We're just lucky it didn't hit the spinal cord. And as for Mukuro...well, he's more messed up mentally I think. They didn't do much to him physically except injure his eye, knock him out, and break a few ribs. They probably just made him watch instead of hurting him to the same extent."

Tsuna's face was sickly white once the blond boss had finished. He didn't say anything even as the young man attempted to cheer him by offering encouragement that simply went through one ear and out the other. He blindly moved closer to the window Dino was attempting to block.

The three patients Tsuna could see through the window were nearly unrecognizable through the tubes and IVs that were positioned all along their bodies. Even through the Plexiglas, Tsuna could hear the incessant beeping of the machines whirring and working to keep the teens alive.

Tsuna felt his breath catch at the sight of the open gouges on Ken's skin, exposing some of the damaged muscle and the slight hint of white bone even wrapped in milky white gauze. Chikusa still looked deathly pale and even Tsuna could see the remains of the spikes of poison peppering his arms and face. Chrome was barely moving, but he could still make out her hands shivering slightly in the white gauze bandages swaddling her fingers.

Tsuna shuddered and turned away. "Who would do this?" His voice breaking sullenly.

Dino shook his head. "I've never seen such vicious attacks like this before. It was like the person responsible wanted them to suffer their own personal hell, like they were being tortured—"

"Where's Mukuro?" Tsuna questioned, cutting the older man off. He felt sick to his stomach again.

Dino stuffed his hands into his pockets, thinking silently for a moment before nodding in assent. He spun around and led Tsuna down the blank hall with a trail of suited men following behind faithfully. They stopped in front of yet another room blocked off by more men in suits, the window covered up so no one could see in.

They inched away from the handle at Dino's silent command, giving their boss room to twist open the doorknob and usher Tsuna in.

Mukuro looked no better than his subordinates, reclined back against the plump pillows, and the breathing cuff covering his mouth and nose as his chest rose and fell with every breath. Tsuna could see the beginnings of bruises, already a pale yellow and black. His right eye was covered with tinged pink gauze that made the teen visibly shudder at the sight.

Off in the corner sat a brown-haired mousy-looking boy of seventeen, staring blankly at the figure in the bed and barely acknowledging the existence of someone else in the room. He made no movement to usher Tsuna further in, but he didn't force the boy away either.

The door snapped shut behind Tsuna, leaving the three of them alone. The boy's eyes never left Mukuro's form.

Tsuna sighed. "...I know it's hard but I want you to tell me what—"

"I don't know," The boy muttered angrily, not looking at the teen.

"C'mon," Tsuna urged. "Anything now would be helpful in the long run."

"I told you, I don't know."

"What about...physical features? Anything?"

"I told you I don't know!" The boy snapped, finally turning around to face the brunet. Tsuna remained unsurprised to see the Number Six floating in the middle of the boy's red iris, calming himself before speaking again.

"Well you had to know something; otherwise you wouldn't have been able to possess Kai again. You had to have been conscious enough to at least see what happened before you switched."

Yuuto's eyes rolled and he slumped back into his original position. "You don't think I don't know that? So believe me when I say I don't know anything already."

Tsuna frowned. "Really? There's nothing you can tell me about them?"

Mukuro frowned deeper, a scowl taking root. "...They invoked omertà against me."

"...What does that mean?" He questioned.

"Doesn't the Arcobaleno teach you anything? Omertà is a code among mafia members. Their rule is to never reveal family information to outside members, at penalty of death."

"But...why would that affect you?"

Mukuro grit his teeth. "He had the gall to remind me that I am not officially mafia anymore, despite my…involvement with the Vongola. Therefore, omertà applies to me. He attacked me and those three under omertà."

Tsuna stiffened. "...Then at least we know we're dealing with mafia."

Mukuro rolled his eyes.

"But why would they attack you? You haven't done anything I don't know about right?"

"Other than possess your teammate's body, I have had no reason to do anything."

Tsuna sighed. "So we know it's a bunch of mafia guys...and that's it. Some detectives we'd make," He grumbled, plopping into the spare seat beside Yuuto's form. The two boys remained silent for another moment, watching the purple haired man's unmoving form and listening to the beeping of the various machines.

"...There is something else," Mukuro finally murmured.

"What?"

"...White."

"What?"

"The men who attacked us were wearing white. But the one who attacked me specifically was wearing black," Mukuro muttered, his eyes darkening at the memory. "I can't think of any other Mafioso who would do that."

"...Do what exactly?"

"One of the other most nauseating factors about the mafia that makes them so distinguishable is that they pride themselves on their individuality. They prefer to all share this individuality within themselves."

Tsuna stared at him blankly. "...So?"

Mukuro rolled his eyes. "This one was obviously important if he wasn't wearing white like the rest!" He snarled. "Who else would have the authority to reject common rules for thugs than someone with higher rank? Honestly, it is impossible talking with you sometimes."

"So what are you saying?" Tsuna pressed.

Mukuro curled back into his original position, looking abnormally insecure. "...I don't know," He confessed pathetically. "All I know is that whoever it is they're a force to be reckoned with if they can give off a greater lust for blood than anything I've ever seen..."

* * *

Tsuna took his time at the hospital, spending time with each of the patients at their bedside. He spent a few hours talking to Dino about anything they could, ignoring the pressing situation for the moment. He patiently sat with each one of the bedridden group as the minutes ticked by as he informed his friends of the startling news via phone. Mukuro he saved for last, when Kai's body couldn't keep the purple-haired man awake any longer and he spent a few peaceful hours asleep with the brunet keeping watch at his side.

By the time Tsuna dared to look at his wristwatch, it was nearly 7 at night and his date with Kyoko was long gone.

The girl was not quick to forgive him. However, when she learned of her purple-haired friend lying lame in the hospital, Kyoko rushed over and they both managed to spend a few hours together at her bedside. When she had seen how concerned Tsuna had been for their well-being, only then did the brunette agree to a do-over date for another day.

Tsuna couldn't bring himself to sleep after everything that had happened. While he was excited to finally be going out with the girl of his dreams (not to mention getting a break from answering the dreaded question of inheritance), something about the attack had spooked him. His instincts were on edge the entire night, making him toss and turn sleeping intermittently until his alarm rang out the next morning.

The class was quiet when he entered, news of Mochida and Ooyama gnawing at their nerves. Everyone Tsuna ran into gave him a cursory congratulations before spiraling back into their thoughts. Even the teachers seemed a bit off as they stumbled through their lessons. Tsuna was glad when the bell finally rang out, signaling the end of the school day and hurried to catch up with his friends. They too, were silent for once and quickly parted ways instead of making their usual trek back to the Sawada residence.

Tsuna pulled Kyoko back though, taking his chance to be alone with her as the golden opportunity. "S-Shall we?" He stuttered, attempting a smile on his face.

Kyoko looked back at him blankly. "Shall we what?"

Tsuna blanched, his inner self punching his gut repeatedly for his stupidity. "W-Well…shall we go on that…y'know…d-date?"

She giggled in turn. "I know Tsuna! I'm not a total idiot despite what other people seem to think. I just wanted to hear what you called it; a date!" She sang out, making the brunet cringe. "So cute."

"…Do…you not want it…to be?" He muttered sheepishly.

Instead of answering back, Kyoko grabbed his arm and laced her fingers with Tsuna's. She flashed him a heart-melting smile before taking off down the road, dragging the bewildered boy behind her.

She chatted about anything that crossed her mind, from her brother's fifth unsuccessful attempt to convince the high school to let him stay on as captain despite already graduating long before, to the story of her favorite flowers blooming in the shop window. She dragged Tsuna into her favorite clothing stores, pointed out her favorite series of novels on display in the book store, and took the teen down to the local music shop and played her favorite jazz song in his ears. Then Kyoko finally led him to her favorite ice cream shop, Sweet Surprise, and dragged him inside. Tsuna treated them both to heaping cones of strawberry and chocolate as they walked the path home.

As they nibbled away at their cones, Tsuna soon realized that they were passing by the tiny park they had frequented when they were younger. The old playground had seen better days, however, growing shabby with years of disuse and the site of many mafia attacks in its wake. It was now scheduled for demolition, the location closed off with official golden yellow caution tape.

Tsuna suddenly felt filled with the desire to rebel and quickly wolfed down his cone before stepping through the taped edges.

Kyoko sucked in a gasp. "What are you doing?" She breathed, half shocked and half intrigued.

Tsuna chuckled and held out his arm. "Wanna come?"

The girl looked wary so Tsuna pressed "Relax, no one'll come. What will they do? Kick us out of a public place?" He smiled. "C'mon, remember all the good times we've all had here?"

Kyoko allowed herself a tiny smile. "I remember."

"Well, let's have another one."

She chuckled and tossed her cone into the nearby trashcan. She wound her arm around Tsuna's strong one as he helped heft her across the taped path.

They walked the perimeter of the tiny enclosure, making remarks here and there and commenting on the changed trees for the season. They chased each other through the play tunnel and played pretend pirates on the clubhouse before quickly jumping off, fearing collapse. When Kyoko saw the swing-set, her eyes lit up excitedly.

"I'll push you," Tsuna offered, catching her sudden interest.

She whirled around, her face bright. "Really? Oh I love the swings! When I was little, Big Brother used to take me to this playground all the time! He would sit me on the swing and push me so hard I would go flying and touch the treetops!" She squeaked. The girl took off before Tsuna could say anymore and plopped herself promptly into the plastic seat. Her honey brown irises looked up expectantly, never leaving Tsuna's form. "C'mon, hurry Tsuna!" She urged, eagerly waving to him.

He chuckled and stepped behind her, slowly gliding his hands along her back. He could feel the warmth radiating from her skin through her clothes and he had to shake himself mentally before he could summon any energy to move.

Kyoko squealed happily when Tsuna finally made the push, sending her flying up high enough to nearly brush the branches of the overlying canopy with the tips of her feet. He continued pushing with all his might, relishing in her shrieking laughter and the way the wind pushed the smell of her light perfume back into his nose.

Once the novelty had worn off, Tsuna began lightly pushing her until the girl dragged her heels into the dirt to stop. He then took the opportunity to sit on the neighboring swing, lightly rocking back and forth. They sat in silence; the only sounds heard were the creaking of the chains on the swings and the rustling of the leaves as they showered around the two teens.

Finally, Kyoko turned to him. "Have you thought any about what you wanted to say to them?" She asked without any hurry.

Tsuna puffed a sigh, leaning back and staring up into space. "…Yes." He finally murmured.

"…And I'm still not going to do it."

Kyoko spun around to face him in bewilderment. "What?!" She asked, shocked. "Why not?!"

Tsuna sighed again. "Because it's my decision. I love our friends so much Kyoko; I hate to keep putting them into the same dangerous situations over and over like this." His eyes hardened. "And I'd hate to have to watch one of my friends die to protect me.

"I refuse to involve any more people in this. It's my turn to protect them. And if it means giving up everything I've done 'til now, then it's a small sacrifice. And Reborn…" Tsuna paused. "…I'm willing to do it for him too. There's no point in him hanging around if I've already made the decision that I won't."

Kyoko continued to stare at Tsuna, her expression unreadable on her pale face. Finally, her auburn eyes closed and she let out a breathy sigh. She stood up from the plastic seat and walked around to face the teen.

Her eyes slid open, her smile back in place but her eyes remained somber. "Oh Tsuna…" She barely whispered. "…I hate to say it, but…you're wrong. That isn't the way to protect anyone…Just yourself."

"She's right Tsu."

Tsuna and Kyoko spun around, facing the park entrance where the mysterious voice had originated from. Two sets of auburn eyes widened as they took in the sight of a wiry teenager dressed in ripped black skinny jeans with heavy steel-toed work boots covering his feet and a tight red shirt hugging his thin torso. Wavy, bleached blond hair curled around his ears and his cocoa brown irises in an apparently normal fashion.

But what terrified Tsuna the most about this person was not the long, chipped blade down at his side dripping onto the white pavement in a bloody red substance nor the cheerful yet leering grin on the stranger's face.

It was the torn red and gold badge peeking out of a black pocket that read 'Disciplinarian'.

-END.


	2. Mission 0 Part 2

**Description: **The Reborn gang is about to graduate High School! But before Tsuna can make the dreaded decision about taking over the Vongola Family, a new enemy threatens to destroy every normal thing Tsuna holds dear, by destroying time itself!

**Rated: **OT for cursing, violence, and some sexual scenes. If you don't like, don't read.

**Couples mentioned: **TsunaxKyoko, GokuderaxHaru, YamamotoxChrome, RyoheixHana, slight! HibarixOC, slight! MukuroxOC.

**Beta'd: **NO ONE. (though **FairyQueenRose **did help a bit :) )

**Setting:** Current Namimori-others in time-after the anime and the Future Arc five years later.

**A/N: **Thank you to **GreenDrkness**, **FairyQueenRose**, and **BakagetaKotoba **for their reviews! I can't say too much more since I have a dinner date to get to, but only that I appreciate each and every view and I hope you will continue to support this story as it progresses ^^ Say, has anyone seen Hibari's badge? He would like it back as soon as possible...

Please read and review! I like to know I'm doing a good job. Plus, it stokes my ego ;)

* * *

MISSION 0: CROSSING NEW ROADS—Part 2

The stranger continued to beam at the two stunned-into-silence teenagers watching him from the other end of the playground. The dripping red blade continued to ooze onto the concrete in shameless view of the couple and its owner did nothing to stop it.

Tsuna felt his nerves prickle and instantly crossed in front of the petite girl protectively. Kyoko cowered behind him, peering over his broad shoulder as the stranger stepped out onto the gravel of the little park.

The blond teen laughed at the defensive move. "Why so jumpy Tsu? Afraid the big, bad bully is going to hurt your pretty girlfriend?"

"What do you want?" Tsuna barked back. His eyes remained fixed on the gold and red badge protruding from the strange boy's pocket. Kyoko's long fingers dug into his shoulders as she clung to his back fearfully.

The boy rolled his eyes down to the weapon. "Relax," He coaxed, heedlessly tossing away the machete. It clanged away out of sight as he held up his hands defensively. "I'm just here to talk to the infamous Tsunayoshi Sawada. I'd been hearing a lot of good things about you lately; so much so that I just had to discover if you really had changed. And I was right! Definitely different from the No-Good Tsuna I used to know," The stranger admitted with a playful lilt. "I have to admit, I had a few theories: radioactive spiders, kryptonite, body doubles—"

"What do you want from me?!" Tsuna repeated sternly, his hand clenching around his woolen gloves and the box of Dying Will Pills rattling in his pocket.

"—But my favorite is 'bitten by a werewolf'," The teen continued as though he hadn't heard the outburst. His lips curled into a menacing smile. "But it seems that isn't true either, is it Sawada? Maybe it's something else unspeakable. Maybe…it's something even more unbelievable than that. Maybe it's something…mafia related?" His lips stretched wider when he saw Tsuna visibly tense in response. He didn't speak again, letting the question hang heavily in the air as he watched the raging emotions battle on the brunet's face.

"…Who are you?" Tsuna finally growled, his instincts fully alert.

The blond scratched his chin. "Should you really be asking me that question?" He goaded, mocking confusion. "I'm sure the question that's probably burning the most in your mind is 'What is he doing with Kyoya Hibari's Committee badge'?"

Tsuna's eyes flashed with anger at the remark. Kyoko dug her nails deeper into the brunet's shoulders, curbing his anger for the moment.

The blond laughed again. "Well, go ahead. Ask! Ask me what I did to big, bad, Hibari." He chirped eagerly. When the two teenagers didn't reply, he simply shrugged and tossed the badge uncaringly onto the ground in front of them. "I would be curious," He continued to grumble, pretending to stare uninterestedly in his fingernails. "Especially if some stranger walks up holding a bloody weapon and something belonging to a friend of his—"

"What did you do to Hibari?!" Tsuna finally snarled. He swept up the badge and shook it at the teen in fury. "How did you get this?! What have you done with him?!"

"So the questions continue," The stranger continued to croon in delight. He clapped his hands eagerly. "Finally, it seems I'm getting a glimpse of a side of you your girlfriend doesn't even know about."

At the mention, Tsuna spun around to see Kyoko worriedly staring back at him with her auburn eyes wide in concern. He turned away, embarrassed.

"But before I get around to answering any questions of yours, I'd rather you answer a few for me," The blond continued, his face no longer flighty or tormenting. Instead, he looked angry.

"How is it that a weak, spineless kid like you was chosen to be leader of one of the most influential mafia families in the world? How is it that you can walk out of a major battle with not even a scar to remember it by and you leave your enemy behind powerless and utterly defeated? How can you dare walk on the same ground as these peons that you stupidly call your friends when it is plainly obvious that you are nothing more than a pathetic excuse of a human being, let alone a Mafioso?" The blond smirked at the dumbstruck look on the brunet's face. "How do you live with the guilt of ruining their lives like this?"

The boy's words cut deep, striking Tsuna in a way he didn't think was possible. He froze, unable to speak or think; only letting the harsh words roll over his skin like a pelting downpour.

Kyoko grabbed Tsuna's arms tighter, instantly shaking the teen out of his reverie. He grasped her clenched hands comfortingly and turned back to the smirking teen. "I'm not going to ask you again: Where is Hibari?" Tsuna repeated with more calm than before.

Brown irises sharpened and almost narrowed into slits that stared right through Tsuna's shoulder to meet Kyoko's terrified eye. For a wild moment, she thought she saw them turn pitch black. "…Where else would an injured man go? Namimori Central." The teen calmly replied, the smirk back in his voice. He sharply pivoted around and began walking away.

"I'd hurry if I were you," He called over his shoulder to the shocked duo, not bothering to pause or turn around. "Gashes like those can kill even a man like him if he bleeds out long enough."

Tsuna felt the anger continuing to bubble up within him, and if the girl hadn't been holding on to him so tightly, he was absolutely sure there would have been nothing to stop him from chasing after and pummeling that smirking face into the ground.

It didn't stop Tsuna, however, from calling out after the retreating blond with gnashed teeth, "You are dead, you hear me?! You stay away from my friends! If I so much as catch you breathing on one of them, I swear I'll hunt you down myself and fucking rip that smirk off your goddamn face!"

The teenager barely registered the tiny gasp of shock and surprise coming from behind him as the familiar laugh wafted from down the road to his spot in the park. "You promise?" The bodiless voice taunted before the air became silent again.

Tsuna gasped for breath and sank to his knees. The adrenaline in his veins slowly dissipated and left him only with feelings of shame, humiliation, and dread coiling in his stomach. The impending thought of seeing another one of his friends lying lame in a hospital bed made the encounter with the blond stranger even more frightening. He knew he couldn't waste any time; he had to get back to the hospital. He turned back to the frozen girl, caught off guard by the terrified look in her eye.

Tsuna felt his shoulders drooping, the feelings in his stomach turning to lead as her alarmed eyes shocked him through to his heart. Tsuna quickly stood, brushing himself off. "I'm gonna head to the hospital," He muttered, unable to look her in the eye. "…Can you make it back home alright?"

The girl nodded stiffly, looking sickly pale. Every muscle in his body screamed to help the girl back home, but the action wouldn't register in his mind. Kyoko was alive; Hibari could be on the brink.

Before Tsuna could make the impending judgment, the girl slowly turned on her heel and began hobbling back in the direction of her home. Even as he watched her walk away Tsuna could not bring himself to help her, only watch her leave pathetically.

Tsuna sighed and took off in an unsteady gait down the road. The blond had disappeared, but the memories of his conversation hadn't. Tsuna was swamped with images of all his previous battles, each one of the stranger's words digging the knife in deeper as he thought them over.

The thought that infuriated him the most was watching himself react, almost as if he were watching someone else. He could see himself enraged, angry, and scared, and all Tsuna felt was shame. He couldn't keep his head cool, for once in his damn life. He didn't stand a chance when his friends' lives were involved.

He was further sickened by the promise he had made, the mental image too gruesome to think over. He tried to will himself to think about something else, but it was fruitless. All he could think about was Kyoko, helpless and lifeless, and how he let her walk away. Again.

Tsuna sped up into a run, hoping to suddenly leave all those scary thoughts behind and to never have to see them again.

* * *

For the second time in two days, Tsuna flew through the hospital hunting for a beaten and horribly wrecked Hibari hanging onto the thread of life tooth and nail and in no better shape than the other four victims of the attacks.

Instead, he found the teen with a long gash stretched across his arm, peppered with various other cuts across his skin, and a very put-out disposition, but very much alive.

Tsuna silently thanked every god he could think of as the rest of the group launched into questions. They had been called in after Tsuna's panicked inquiries to the hospital staff drew them away from the Kokuyo group. After they had joined in on the mayhem, the tired nurse had gruffly pointed in the opposite direction as the teenagers streamed down the hall to the disciplinarian's bedside.

Hibari had harrumphed at the intrusions, pointedly ignoring his obvious injuries and snubbed pride before finally answering the dogging questions. "…Some-odd weakling was lounged carelessly against the school entrance. He said he was looking for me. I told him to leave or I would bite him to death." His eyes narrowed at the memory. "…He laughed and told me to try it."

"Why was he looking for you?"

"Did he say anything about attacking any of the others?"

"Was he blond?" Tsuna suddenly asked, earning him a surprised look from the others. "With brown eyes and a red shirt?" He ignored the group's probing looks for the moment, nervously watching the teen's face light up with recognition.

Hibari stared at him curiously. "…Yes…" He tentatively replied. He continued to watch Tsuna out the corner of his eye as he went on, "I went in to kill him and the next thing I know, the annoyance," The teen remarked, looking up at Dino accusingly. "Was blocking my view and I was bleeding in the arm. The little freak had stolen my badge and was dangling it in front of me like a jackass."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tsuna continued to badger even when he received the usual glare.

"I told you, I'm fine," he muttered. His eyes shifted to the cardboard box beside him, looking down as he spoke. "He wasn't as lucky though."

Tsuna followed his gaze, and held back a yelp of disbelief as he looked down on a shivering mass of dirt and yellow feathers. Poor Hibird was wrapped up in an enumerate amount of bandages and sticks that barely kept the creature together, let alone keep him from shaking. The creature looked up at his master pathetically, chirping in a croak "Hi...bari...defeated...Mu...kuro...defeated..."

"You hush," Hibari urged, stroking his finger along his pet's head. "Don't stress yourself further." He continued to caress him until the bird cooed again and placed back gently into its box.

Tsuna turned back to Dino. "Did you catch who the attacker was? Was it anyone you've recognized?"

The blond shook his head sadly in response. "No. I didn't recognize him at all. If he was a Mafioso, I've never heard of him."

Tsuna deflated at the statement. He had been secretly counting on the blond to unload everything he knew about the sneering stranger, including some clue as to keep this from affecting anyone else.

Instead, he felt defeated. Not only did he rush to the hospital for barely an emergency (once again, tricked by the unknown stranger), but he had also left Kyoko alone in an emotional crisis. He felt pathetic and as worthless as the teen had claimed him to be.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, urging him out of the room still buzzing with confusion and disbelief. Tsuna didn't even bother trying to argue, trudging silently behind his acquaintance into the white hallway. He sluggishly rolled his eyes up to the figure, expecting to see the cool façade of his baseball-loving best friend, armed to the tooth with all sorts of words designed to make the teen feel better. And for once, he was not looking forward to it.

What shocked him the most was to find Gokudera instead.

The brunet raised an eyebrow. "Gokudera?" He asked dubiously. "You're the one cheering me up?"

The silver-haired boy shrugged. "Can't hurt to practice," He lamely joked. His green eyes grew serious as he asked, "...Are you alright Boss?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes at the comment. "What do you think? The people I've fought with in the past are being sent to the hospital with an ass-kicking they're not likely to forget for a while, some strange kid I don't even know is pissed at me and is hurting my friends for no reason, not to mention I'm a pathetic wishy-washy brat who can't even ask out the girl he likes on a proper date without it being ruined by a demonic side of himself he never even knew he had, let alone could use." The brunet heaved a sigh, his troubles spilled out and leaving him emotionally drained. He landed roughly into a plastic chair against the wall, eyes trained on the faux marble floor. "My whole life is falling apart and I'm screwing it up all around trying to fix it."

Gokudera chuckled. "It's not your job to fix everything," He assured him, taking the seat beside him. "And no one expects you to."

"Not even you?"

"Of course me. But my opinion counts for nothing apparently."

Tsuna snorted a laugh before he frowned. "Don't make me laugh; I'm trying to have a pity party here."

Gokudera smiled. "Look Boss, you have to understand, blood and loss is kind of part of the package deal. As Boss of Vongola, or anything in life, you have to be willing to accept that things will happen out of your element that you will have to deal with whether you want to or not. That's a part of growing up. And screwing it all up just makes you human as well as willing to take the chance. I mean, how many other teenagers get to make the same kind of difference you've made in other's lives?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "Like who?"

"Hmm, I dunno, me?" Gokudera sarcastically asked. When the brunet looked at him with disdain, he went on. "How many times do you think I was rejected before I came to the Vongola? I can't even count! I was laughed out of every family I came across because no one ever wanted a 'half-breed' among their ranks. Bloodline is very important in other frickin' families."

"...Really?"

"Yes. But the point is you helped me to realize that putting everything on the line wasn't more important than what I was doing it for. I had turned my back on family and everything I knew so that I could drown myself in something else. You helped me to realize that it was more important to fight to keep something than to be willing to throw it away. Look at Mukuro," Gokudera motioned to the Plexiglas on the other side of the hall where the three Kokuyo students slept.

"That guy would've run anywhere but here before. Now he's actually come to us for help instead. The guy would've never been on our side willingly. But he saved Kai from that accident and helped win the championship for someone other than himself." Gokudera turned his green eyes back to the downtrodden brunet. "You have a talent for this."

Tsuna sighed. "I wish everyone would stop saying that already. It wasn't me; it was Reborn."

"Reborn only brought out what you already knew how to do; you were just scared to do it."

Tsuna froze at the words, turning back to the silver-haired teen in shock. His eyes shifted over the teenager's form as he considered his words. Tsuna's mind drifted back to early days with his tutor; from that first moment he had twisted the spindly arm to do the baby's bidding to the moment he looked up to the blue sky in pride, having saved the world from a devastated future. They had all come a long way from those moments, and even though Tsuna tended to look back at them with a wince, he inwardly admitted he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Finally, to the silver-haired boy's relief, Tsuna smiled. "You really mean that?" He asked.

Gokudera nodded. "I do. And I think I speak for everyone else when I say it."

Tsuna chuckled and leaned back against the wall. "Thanks Gokudera. I needed to hear that."

The teen slouched back as well. "Anytime Boss."

"You should try to cheer me up more often."

Gokudera winced in response. "Let me get more practice and then...maybe."

Tsuna laughed at this, effectively cheering the brunet up much to Gokudera's delight. The two then spent the rest of the hour languidly sharing bits of news. The brunet finally spilled the details of his date when Yamamoto stepped out and joined their conversation, purposefully leaving out the strange encounter in the park. As darkness fell outside the glass door entrance, the trio decided it was better to camp out at the hospital all together for the night in the hopes of being present when the patients revived.

Tsuna was more than sure it was because they were afraid to go home instead.

* * *

Chrome did wake up about three in the morning. Hana, Haru, and Kyoko then made a late-night appearance about an hour later, crying in joy. The girl remained heavily medicated during their visit and Tsuna noticed she plaintively refused to look at her hands, but seemed nevertheless happy for their company.

Her girlfriends took the unspoken hint and didn't mention it either, only remarking how thankful they were that she was alive and spent the rest of the early morning sitting with her.

When the girls left around lunchtime to change and eat, Tsuna took his opportunity to question Chrome about her memories. He had strayed away when Kyoko had walked through the glass doors and stayed constantly out of sight until their departure, the embers of his embarrassing moment with Kyoko the day before too stressing to let him meet her eyes.

The bedridden girl watched him silently with her blank purple eye as Tsuna creaked the door open and took a seat by her bedside. His eyes were everywhere but the machines attached to the girl's skin, considering his words before they could spill out carelessly. Finally, Tsuna sighed and spoke.

"…I want you to tell me everything you can about that night. Anything you can remember."

The girl looked pained at the question. Her voice remained steady, even as she weakly asked, "Why?"

"…Was the guy responsible…the one who attacked…hurt Mukuro…was he blond?"

Chrome bit her bruised lip. She nodded curtly, her limited mobility keeping her from doing little else.

"Did he give a name?"

The girl shook her head in shame.

"Did he say what family he was from?"

"No Boss."

Tsuna sighed dejectedly. "So there's nothing you can tell me then?"

Chrome looked away, abashedly.

Tsuna sighed. He looked away as well, his eyes continuing to comb over the various flowers gathered around her bed. All from well-wishers who had all heard the terrible news, they mostly included his mother and the girls. Although, Tsuna did know that one batch of unmarked purple gillyflowers was from another purple-haired teen sleeping just down the hall that had appeared at her bedside shortly after Chrome had awoken. He couldn't stop a smile from sprouting at the unselfish thought as the girl followed his gaze and stared at the purpled flowers confusingly.

Chrome turned back to the brunet. "What's wrong Boss?" She tentatively asked.

"Oh nothing," The brunet muttered. "Just looking at all the flowers you've got."

"Really?" She inquired, looking around again. Finally, the girl pointed to her bedside. "I actually thought those were for you, Boss."

Tsuna frowned. "For me?" He questioned, standing and inspecting the aforementioned pot in confusion. It seemed like a normal red pot and had nothing out of the ordinary except the flowers adorning it. Tsuna was shocked to see it full of black roses, still soft to the touch with the slightest hint of dark blue coloring the bottom of the blooms. The most surprising thing was the stick thin stems that broke into pitch dark ashes with the slightest touch. He felt it was oddly poetic somehow.

His hands bumped into the card and he plucked it out of the stand to read:

**For Tsunayoshi Sawada:**

**Keep better track of your things. Otherwise, they'll disappear like lightning.**

**T.K.**

"'T.K.'?" Tsuna questioned, flipping the card over in his palm. "Who's T.K.?"

Chrome pointed to the rectangular white box beside the pot. "I believe that was for you also," She murmured. Her eyes lit up momentarily as she eagerly but asked, "…If it's chocolate, may I have some Boss?"

"Of course." Tsuna reached over and grabbed the white cardboard box. He ripped off the bright red ribbon and opened it without looking before setting it onto her blanket. "Here, have it all I don't want it."

Chrome gingerly moved to inspect the box but froze, her eye wide. Her hand hung in midair. Tsuna looked over, watching her face slowly drain of color. "What's wrong?" He demanded, growing nervous.

She only pointed inside the container as explanation.

Tsuna peered over her shoulder, his body tensing as well.

Inside the box lay the torn remains of a bright red kimono sleeve, a frayed green and white striped scarf, and the tattered remains of a cow's tail. Lying next to them was a card that read:

**I'll be waiting where we first met.**

**T.K.**

* * *

Tsuna sat quietly as the group continued to bicker and argue in front of him. He continued to stare at the cards in his hands, hoping and praying that at some point the words would morph and change into something less sinister. But instead, the black words continued to stay the same on their white background, just as insidious as they had been an hour ago. Nothing other than the threatening messages, and the initials T.K. remained on the blank paper. The hot knife twisted into Tsuna's stomach as his eyes continued to roll over them.

Finally, Dino quieted the group. "Tsuna?" He questioned. When the teen looked up, he continued. "What should we do?"

Tsuna remained quiet, his eyes rolling back to the cards without an answer.

Hibari tromped over and snatched the cards out of his hands. "'Where we met for the first time?'" He grilled. "Where'd you meet this guy?"

"At Namimori Playground in the City Park," He responded robotically. "I took Kyoko there after school."

"Kyoko met this guy?!" Ryohei snarled. "Is she hurt? Did he hurt her—"

"No Ryohei, he didn't hurt her. He just…started saying stuff and just…" Tsuna muttered, the memory being dredged up again. "…Just…stuff."

Not liking the offhanded remark, Ryohei continued to launch into more probing questions until Yamamoto took the hint and calmed the senior down.

"Look, we all shouldn't be trying to figure out what happened with Tsuna and this T.K. guy," The black haired teen remarked. "We should be trying to figure out what to do next."

"Bite this freak to death," Hibari griped, slouching up against a wall.

"I vote for Hibari's idea!" Ryohei bellowed, his face angry and determined.

"Still your guns boys!" Dino shouted back. "We still don't know what this guy is after. If he is responsible for what happened with Hibari and Mukuro, then we should tread carefully! This guy is dangerous!"

"And he'll grow more dangerous the longer we leave him alone!" Ryohei shot back. "I say we stop him now before he hurts Kyoko or anyone else—"

"—Me." Tsuna murmured. The group turned to him in confusion. "…He wants me for some reason. That's why he's doing this."

Reborn sighed. "If that's what it is, then he's trying to get you angry for some reason." The tutor rebuked.

"Well he's doing a great job of it," The brunet grumbled. "Every time I see him, he just finds some other way to piss me off further."

"Then your goal should be not to react," Reborn scolded. "The more you get worked up and riled into this pity-party meltdown you seem to be having, the more you're playing right into his plan."

Tsuna rolled his eyes to the floor. "I know that," He muttered again.

Gokudera stepped forward. "Boss, why don't I go?" He offered. "I'll get the kids back for you."

"Not alone you're not," Yamamoto interjected, coming forward as well. "I'm coming with."

Gokudera narrowed his eyes at the black haired teen menacingly. "I'm more than capable of getting the brats back myself without any help from you."

"Your temper is just as bad," The baseballer remarked. "He could be expecting this, and you would get more flustered than be helpful without backup. I thought last time with Gamma had taught you that."

The silver haired teen straightened and looked Yamamoto in the eye. "I thought I told you not to bring that up again." He warned, a lilt to his voice rarely used. His dark eyes glared dangerously at the baseballer, warning him not to continue.

"Obviously I need to, since you keep forgetting we're all on the same side." The teen shot back.

"If he's going, I am too!" The rambunctious boxer chimed in. "I'll kick his ass for scaring Kyoko like that!"

"No, you're not!" Gokudera turned his attention to Ryohei. "This guy is serious! What can you do?! Recruit him into your imaginary boxing club?!"

"What was that Octo-Head?!" Ryohei rumbled, grabbing the bomber's collar of his shirt with his fist raised.

"Exactly as I said Turf-Head!" Gokudera snapped, doing the same. Yamamoto rushed in between the two heated and angry teens, breaking them apart before they could do any more damage to each other and themselves.

"GUYS!" Tsuna hollered over the impending fight, making everyone in the room turn to the flushed brunet. "…I'm going. I'm gonna have to face this guy anyway, and I'm going to do it now before he continues hurting people like this." His auburn eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to let him do as he likes anymore. And I'm gonna get the kids back on my own."

"That won't work," Reborn interrupted instantly. "You can't handle it on your own."

"You can't go alone Tsuna," Yamamoto also interjected, releasing the two silver haired teens. "I'll come too."

"Me too." Gokudera piped in.

"Mm. Me too." Ryohei agreed.

Tsuna shook his head. "I'm doing this. By myself. I can't keep relying on you guys for every little thing. I need to learn how to do things on my own." The brunet gave a sad smile. "But I appreciate the thought."

"Tsuna…" Reborn warned. He stopped himself suddenly, shutting his eyes for a long moment and looking away before speaking again. "…You've already made the decision to do this, so I know I can't talk you out of it. But let me just ask you this: are you going to talk to him…or are you going to fight him?"

All eyes were on Tsuna as the brunet considered the impending thought. Finally, he sighed dolefully.

"…We'll see."

* * *

Tsuna made the slow trek down the road. He felt drained, but more willing than he had been an hour or so ago. He was more assured in the fact that he had kept his friends out of the problem once again but the thought of what the blond had implanted in his mind continued to haunt him. He only hoped that he'd be able to be more level-headed and cool this time around instead.

Before he had known it, his feet had led him back to the same playground he and Kyoko had explored only the day before. His worn sneakers crunched in the gravel at the entrance before finally facing the looming figures backed against the orange sunset.

Sure enough, the blond teenager stood smirking in his path flanked on his sides by a large group of pristine white-suited men. They stared the brunet down with beady, olive-pit eyes like snakes ready to pounce on a marmot. Their slicked back hair and deadly expressions did nothing to assure Tsuna this was the right decision, but he didn't want to let that feeling escape his mind. He settled instead for putting on his best glare.

Tsuna was so busy staring down the figures that he almost didn't recognize the three children in the zoot men's grasp, looking at him fearfully. He saw, thankfully, that Fuuta still had his ranking book still clenched tightly in his sweaty palms while I-Pin struggled fruitfully in the tight grasp of another. Auburn eyes trailed over the large tear off her sleeve and the shredded remains of the cow tail clenched fearfully between Lambo's shaking legs as he bawled his head off (subsequently giving his captor a rather large headache as they continued to stand there). Other than some slight bruising and remains of tear tracks on their faces, the kids seemed alright.

"Big Tsuna!" The little brunet cried out, echoed by the two other hitmen wriggling in their captor's meathooks. The red book was perched securely in the boy's arms and no one made a movement toward it.

Tsuna turned his attention back to the grinning blond. There was no doubt in his mind that something was still very much wrong in this situation.

The blond's white teeth glittered at him. "So you got my letter Tsunayoshi?" He inquired genially. "Thanks for coming on such short notice! Is the posse lagging behind?"

Tsuna remained quiet, his eyes never leaving the blond's.

The teen grinned wider. "That's right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? Silly me, I have no manners whatsoever…" The blond stepped forward and covered his heart with his pale hand. "My name is Toshio. Toshio Kobayoshi. Also known as the new Tenth Generation Boss of the Trad 6 family, as of last week. As a fellow boss, I hope you'll take good care of me." Toshio dipped into a low bow in a seemingly respectful way, but continued to grin in that annoying manner that made Tsuna angrier.

"Cut the crap." Tsuna spat back. "I don't know who you are or what you're up to, but leave my friends out of it! You attack Mukuro, Hibari, and the rest and still have the gall to talk to me like we're friends?! Now tell me what you want from me before I follow through on my promise!"

Toshio grinned, rising up from his bow. "What?" He taunted. "You mean the one where you threatened to 'hunt me down and fucking rip the lousy smirk off my goddamn face' as it were? Well, I suppose this time I could follow your polite request."

Tsuna felt himself getting dizzier every time Toshio grinned his toothy smile and vaguely wondered how it would look if it had no teeth at all.

Toshio spun back on his heel, dramatically declaring, "I'm here under orders of the poor, deceased Ninth. As you may well be aware, Trad 6 has long since been an ally of Vongola back from the early start of the 20th century."

Tsuna's memory floated back to Reborn's quick tutorial of all the allied families. Reborn himself had also described the elusive Trad 6 especially as a "popular yet powerful new rising family". "During America's Prohibition, Vongola found themselves targeted by the various members of the Trad 6, who were at the time a group of 6 assassins from various other families bound together to stop Vongola from encroaching on their business. The families responsible were the sole holders of the second-largest bootlegging operation to America at the time."

"Let me guess; Vongola was first." Tsuna had muttered.

Reborn had nodded in turn. "Trad 6 began attacking Vongola's main sources in order to cripple their business. However, before it could become too bloody, they suddenly stopped attacking. They were assimilated into the family and were soon attacking the very families that had hired them."

"But what did Vongola do to stop them?"

"According to history, Ottavo solved the matter in a quick meeting between them and their boss." Reborn made a face. "But the obvious answer is Vongola made the family an offer they couldn't refuse. If there is one thing they love more than killing, it's being paid lucratively for it."

"In the end, it just all boils down to money, doesn't it?" Tsuna had grumbled, not thrilled about a monetary transaction ending such a bloody conflict so easily.

Reborn had rolled his eyes at the stubborn teen. "Daniela didn't have a choice. If she hadn't have acted when she did, Trad 6 would have eventually killed them all until there wasn't anyone left. And I mean all of them. You wouldn't have even been born. There are things in this world that speak volumes louder than just words."

"However," Toshio sang, waking Tsuna from his memories. "My predecessor decided that he was done following the orders of the 'weak-ass pussies they call boss'…as he put it. His final orders were to see the Vongola fulfill their end of the bargain and see to the new, improved Trad 6 family." Toshio announced. "Oh, and the end of Vongola itself, of course."

"Hah!" Came the self-satisfied response from a bush behind Tsuna. Gokudera sprang up from its depths, twigs and various leaves and debris stuck in his hair and clothes, pointing his finger accusingly at the blond in a mocking fashion. "So it was Trad 6! Figures! But, I know something you losers don't! You promised you would never attack Vongola again!"

"Gokudera!" Tsuna growled angrily.

Toshio combed over the silver-haired boy with apparent interest. "Hm. Hayato Gokudera. Age 18. Born on September 9th to Constantino Mancini and Lavina Sposito, his piano-playing mistress. Rejected from nearly every family he came to because he wasn't fully Italian…and because no one wanted a 'half-breed, second-rate piano player', am I right?"

Gokudera wasn't grinning anymore. In fact, Tsuna noticed that his face was growing more and more annoyed with every word spilling out of the teen's mouth.

Toshio eyed them both with a self-satisfied stare. "So Tsuna, you really couldn't do it alone could you? Couldn't even face one weak little guy by yourself for once. What're you gonna do? Hide behind Smoker here and let him face me instead?"

Tsuna turned to Gokudera. "I told you I could handle this on my own." He snapped under his breath.

The teen scratched his head anxiously before answering. "It's my job to protect you Boss. It's my decision, not yours—"

"You never listen to me!" Tsuna accused, making the silver-haired teen turn. "I told you I could handle this, and yet you came anyway! And I'm talking to all of you!" The brunet whipped around, scaring the troupe failing to hide in the bushes behind him.

As if on cue, the shrub wobbled dangerously and spat out four teenage boys onto the pavement unceremoniously. They toppled on top of each other, answering Tsuna's steaming glare with impish smiles as an apology.

Gokudera frowned. "I told you all I could tail him myself!" He groaned in annoyance.

Hibari shrugged from his position on his back on the concrete. "I wanted to bite the freak to death," Was his simple excuse. Yamamoto only chuckled at the offhanded remark as the bomber glared daggers at him.

Mukuro shifted his eyes away, suddenly more interested in the weapon in his hands than answering the probing gazes as the silver haired boxer spoke from his position, half-sprawled on top of the purple haired man. "And if Hibari was going, then there was extremely no way I wasn't going either!" Ryohei barked as well, leaping to his feet. He knocked a leaf away from his ear as he announced, "I have to get him back for hurting Kyoko!"

Toshio snorted a loud laugh. "How could a mediocre boxer who couldn't even make the city league three years in a row possibly think he could defeat me?!" He grilled condescendingly.

Ryohei stiffened then turned to the blond, rare genuine anger burning in his gray irises. "How did you find that out?" He rumbled, his fists clenched and quaking at his sides.

Toshio shrugged offhandedly. "If your pathetic tutor had bothered to teach you anything of real use, you would know that the first rule of war is to know your enemy." He grinned, narrowing his eyes. "I suppose a muscle-headed fool like you couldn't possibly comprehend something that complex."

"Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot!" Ryohei snarled, anger finally bursting through. He made a move towards the bemused blond, but the stern disciplinarian blocked his path.

Toshio doubled over, laughing hysterically. "What's wrong Tsunayoshi?!" He gasped between giggles. "Can't you do anything without your cheering squad having to back you up?!"

The brunet made a move to refute the insult, but Reborn landed on Tsuna's shoulder effectively stopping from chastising the troupe gathered behind him. "Deal with them later," The baby tutor ordered. "They came to help; you should be thankful."

"I told them I wanted to do this myself—"

The tutor shot his student a cold glare. "Stop trying to be a hero Idiot Tsuna. Part of growing up is knowing when to ask for help."

Toshio tusked the moment snobbishly. "Dissent in the ranks Tsunayoshi? You might want to straighten up the pecking order before you entertain any thoughts of trying to stop me. And tweak the tempers as well."

"Obviously you don't know Tsuna as well as you think you do," Yamamoto chirped in. "He can keep his head cool despite any situation."

Tsuna felt a pang of nerves at the sentiment, something Toshio of course didn't miss.

The blond eyed the lanky baseball player, combing over him with his eyes. "Takeshi Yamamoto. Age 18. Son of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto. Mother, Kaoruko: deceased…cancer, wasn't it? Pathetic way to die if you ask me."

The change in Yamamoto was instantaneous. In a matter of seconds, the teen grew as angry as Ryohei had been and his eyes flashed with hatred. His fists clenched at his sides, so hard that the knuckles turned milk white. "Don't…you dare…talk about my mother like that!" The normally calm teen barked out, his teeth gnashed.

Toshio smirked again, obviously relishing the family's reactions, "Good to know you all share a family trait," he joked, eyes trained on Tsuna. "Even if honesty isn't the best one."

The brunet in turn, avoided five sets of curious eyes.

Toshio's eyes outlined each of the guardians, their forms stiffening as he went. "So this is the famous Vongola Decimo family. I'm finding myself amazed at how anyone can find you lot intimidating. You have no drive," He announced, pointing to Tsuna. "No sense of self," Pointing to Yamamoto. "And no sense of substance," Pointing to Ryohei. "As for you all, well, you all are just pathetic at working together for any reason," The blond announced, his gaze gliding over the Storm, Cloud, and Mist Guardians. Toshio's grin inched across his face. "How you've gotten anything done is beyond me. Pure luck, no doubt."

"You're wrong."

The quiet statement from nowhere had everyone turning towards the park entrance. Tsuna stood shocked as he watched the thin form of Chrome Dokuro suddenly appear in front of the tiny park. She gingerly stepped forward, putting herself alongside her fellow Guardians.

"Dokuro?!" Gokudera murmured, disbelieving.

"No way," Ryohei mumbled as well.

The brunet could see her appearing to look intimidating, but it was hard to tell while she attempted to waddle her way in front of the group nursing another injury. Her hands were still trembling, swaddled in gauze around the thin black trident with the taller form of Dino glued at her side. He led her around the gravel with a strong hand on her back to keep her upright. Haru, Hana, and Kyoko made up the rear of the pack and crowded around their friend protectively, visibly upset about being excluded.

The purple haired man strode up to the girl, irritation evident in his face. "What are you doing here?" He barked.

"I heard you and Boss went to meet him. I wanted to be here too." She answered back dutifully. "And they wanted to confront him too." She jabbed her weapon towards her friends.

Mukuro turned to the blond boss at her side. "Why did you let her come?"

Dino shook his head. "Don't be mad at me, they made me." He motioned to the girls at Chrome's elbow.

Hana didn't even flinch at the glare given by the purple haired man as he whirled on them. She rolled her eyes as she barked back, "Oh please! You men think you can leave us behind all the time without any second thoughts. It's our turn to get involved. And there's nothing you can do to change it."

"Yes there is!" Mukuro shot back. "You don't belong here. Go, now!"

"But Master Mukuro, she's just trying to h—"

"I said leave!" The man shot back menacingly, turning his glare onto Chrome. She froze instantly, shaking against Dino's hand. Her fingers clenched the long staff nervously, her will to fight instantly broken at the look shot at her by Mukuro.

Toshio hummed jovially. "Ooh, Tsuna, control your wild bull a little more. He's scaring the pretty girls."

Tsuna shot the blond a glare. The creep only continued to smile like it was the world's greatest joke. Looking at the Cheshire grin on his face, the brunet could feel the burning embers from all the insults spewed at his friends. His memory fed this burn by adding in the images of seeing the Kokuyo group in their hospital beds, Mukuro looking small and scared in his little chair, Kyoko's frozen and white face when she had seen Tsuna snap so angrily. He was bound to snap any minute.

Tsuna couldn't take anymore.

He lunged.

The two boys went rolling around in the dirt as Tsuna began an onslaught against the blond's smirking face. Blood thumped in his ears as his fists swung carelessly and red bled into his vision as he saw the red ooze out of the broken face. He was vaguely aware that his friends were yelling something incoherent in his ears. It made a low buzzing that only fueled the teen's anger.

Suddenly, a blow to his face had him rolling away from the teen and into the line of trashcans as if he were a ball. The adrenaline rushed to leave his system and he could hear the girls' screaming properly again.

The tiny form of his tutor land in front of him and grabbed his now splotchy pink collar. "You can't keep losing your head like this Tsuna!" The tutor screeched, looking more frightened than ever. "Get your act together! You're doing exactly what he wants from you!"

Toshio spat on the ground beside him. "Very true Mr. Arcobaleno," He leered, shakily getting to his feet. "Unwittingly, Tsunayoshi has given me exactly what I need to pummel him and the other Vongola trash into the dirt where they belong." The teen smirked.

The pupils in his eyes grew bigger as the group watched fervently. They suddenly turned blood red, staining the whites of his eyes a menacing yellow with the distended sclera popping from their sockets. A pure orange flame erupted from his hands as they shook with now bulging muscles. Another orange flame erupted from his forehead as the blood slowly dripping off his face was vacuumed into the flickering fire at the crown of his head. The fire roared as though it had been stoked and then seared a bloody red orange in the middle of his forehead and palms.

"The Blood Flame?!" Tsuna heard Dino choke out before Toshio rushed him. With one punch to the chin, Tsuna was sent flying into the tree canopy surrounding the park, leaving a reverberating crash in its wake that sounded similar to canon fire.

Toshio let out a bloodcurdling laugh that instantly set everyone on edge. "Look at that! Out with one punch, like the other weaklings!" The blood red irises shifted to gaze at the girls frozen in place. "Like I would ever give him that satisfaction," He rumbled happily before turning back to the shocked group.

"My predecessors spent years developing this new flame so that it could one day be used for the destruction of the Vongola." He announced to the ardently listening crowd. "I was chosen as the sole owner of the Bloody Sky Flame. My thirst for blood is only surpassed by my intense desire for revenge against the Vongola," The blond looked at his hands, pulsing with blood and power in the various tissues. "I was given this gift so that I may bring the almighty Vongola to their knees! And I think I'll start…" Toshio pointed to Kyoko, who cringed. "With Tsunayoshi's pretty little girlfriend."

"No you won't Toshio."

The blood red irises whirled on the source of the voice before the rest of his face did. He eyed the plastic container in the burning black-gloved hands that was tossed away.

Burning orange irises pierced the other teen with a determined stare, the pure orange flame floating on his forehead.

"I'm going to defeat you," Tsuna announced in his cool, confident tenor. "With my Dying Will."

-END.


End file.
